How to write secure code

Overview

Following serious attacks on national infrastructures, security specialists discovered that most of the vulnerabilities causing these incidents stemmed from flawed and attack-prone code written by developers. Developers must now master secure coding techniques because we are in a situation where anyone can use readily available tools to write scripts that can effectively disable large organization systems due to developers writing weak code. This course also details recent cyber attacks that have been used, as well as the countermeasures employed to stop and prevent these attacks. You will see how developer errors led to catastrophic breaches, and by participating in labs during the course, you will be able to apply security controls in practice and gain the experience and knowledge needed to create secure code.

This course aims to assist in the following areas:

• Helping developers master secure coding techniques.
• Assisting software testers in testing application security before deployment to production environments.
• Helping software architects understand risks associated with applications.
• Aiding team leaders in establishing basic security guidelines for developers.
• Assisting webmasters in configuring servers to avoid configuration errors.

Who is this course for?

This secure coding course is ideal for individuals working in roles such as, but not limited to:

• Web Developers
• Mobile App Developers
• Java Developers
• .NET Developers
• Software Architects
• Software Testers
• Security Specialists
• Webmasters

Requirements

• Basic knowledge of any programming language.
• Fundamental understanding of the software development lifecycle.

Module 1: Introduction to Secure Coding

• Overview of secure coding practices
• Common software vulnerabilities
• Importance of a secure development lifecycle

Module 2: Fundamentals of Web, Windows, and Mobile Applications

• Introduction to application platforms
• Security implications for each platform
• Best practices for secure development

Module 3: Attacks and Exploits on Applications

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Module 4: Attacks and Exploits on Servers

• Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
• Buffer Overflow (BOF)
• Common server vulnerabilities

Module 5: Validation and Verification

• Input validation techniques
• Data sanitization and output encoding
• Verification of security controls

Module 6: Security Controls and Countermeasures

• Implementing access controls
• Using encryption to protect data
• Protection against common threats

Module 7: Secure Mobile Application Coding

• Security issues in mobile app development
• Implementing secure mobile application architectures
• Secure management of mobile data

Module 8: Security Standards and Testing

• Overview of security standards (e.g., OWASP)
• Testing for vulnerabilities
• Best practices for security testing